Summit Declaration on Afghanistan
Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North
Atlantic Council in Strasbourg / Kehl on 4 April 2009
In Afghanistan we are helping build security for the Afghan people, protecting our citizens and
defending the values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Our common security is closely
tied to the stability and security of Afghanistan and the region: an area of the world from where
extremists planned attacks against civilian populations and democratic governments and continue
to plot today. Through our UN-mandated mission, supported by our International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) partners, and working closely with the Afghan government, we remain
committed for the long-run to supporting a democratic Afghanistan that does not become, once
more, a base for terror attacks or a haven for violent extremism that destabilises the region and
threatens the entire International Community. For this reason Afghanistan remains the Alliance’s
key priority.
At the Bucharest Summit last April, we set out our strategic vision based on four guiding principles:
long-term commitment, Afghan leadership, a comprehensive approach and regional engagement.
These principles remain the foundation of our political-military plan which we have today updated.
Afghan ownership remains crucial. Success requires a stronger regional approach that involves all
Afghanistan’s neighbours and, as this is not a purely military endeavour, greater civilian resources.
We welcome the outcome of the International Conference on Afghanistan in the Netherlands on 31
March 2009, which demonstrated the re-energized commitment and focus of the international
community. We share the emphasis placed on balancing civil and military efforts in further
contributing to security and stability in Afghanistan.
We continue to make progress. The Government of Afghanistan is taking on greater responsibility
and increasing its capabilities. Since Bucharest, we have transferred the lead on security in Kabul
into Afghan hands. An ever more capable Afghan National Army now participates in over 80% of
ISAF operations, taking the lead in half of them. We recognise the UN’s coordinating role over
international civilian activities and the need to further improve the coherence of all civilian and
military efforts. UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), ISAF and the Afghan government
are therefore implementing an Integrated Approach to focus our collective efforts. We are boosting
our efforts to coordinate the contribution of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) to build stability
and further align their work with Afghan Government priorities. We have improved our measures,
in concert with Afghan authorities, to prevent civilian casualties and to respond appropriately when
they regrettably do occur. We will continue our efforts in this regard. We are increasing operations
in support of Afghan Counter Narcotics activities.
We recognize that extremists in Pakistan especially in western areas and insurgency in Afghanistan
undermine security and stability in both countries and that the problems are deeply intertwined.
Since Bucharest, we have supported enhanced military-to-military coordination and improved highlevel engagement with both governments. We have reinvigorated dialogue to address cross-border
security. We welcome the continuation of the Ankara Process including the recent trilateral summit,
and the G-8 initiative aimed at further intensifying cooperation and dialogue between the two
countries.
Serious challenges remain. Despite significant improvements, insecurity, persistent corruption and
the uneven provision of good governance need to be addressed together. We face a ruthless
opponent that has a reckless disregard for human life and directly targets civilians. ISAF will do its
part to help tackle these threats to Afghanistan’s long-term stability. We will address urgently
ISAF’s remaining shortfalls and provide our commanders with the maximum possible operational
flexibility for the use of our forces. We must continue, with the Afghan government, to counter
extremist propaganda and better communicate our goals, challenges and achievements. As an
expression of our commitment to Afghanistan, we have agreed to:

•

establish a NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A) within ISAF to oversee higher
level training for the Afghan National Army, and training and mentoring for the Afghan
National Police, capitalising on existing structures and synergies in close coordination with
the International Police Coordination Board.
We welcome current initiatives in support of the shared objective of training and mentoring
the Afghan National Police. The European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) could play an active
role in this regard;

•

provide more trainers and mentors in support of the Afghan National Police. In this regard
we underline the importance of other efforts in this field such as the training activities
conducted by the European Union police mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL);

•

assist and support the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) secure the upcoming
electoral process by temporarily deploying the necessary election support forces;

•

provide operational mentoring and liaison teams (OMLT) in support of the progressive
enlargement of the Afghan National Army to its current target of 134,000;

•

expand the role of the Afghan National Army Trust Fund to include sustainment costs. We
welcome initial contributions offered and encourage new contributions from the
International Community;

•

further develop the evolving long term relationship between NATO and Afghanistan;

•

encourage and support the strengthening of Afghan and Pakistani government cooperation;
and build a broader political and practical relationship between NATO and Pakistan;

•

further support the Government of Afghanistan and the UN in the development of the
Integrated Approach to strengthen synchronised civil-military efforts across Afghanistan;

•

encourage all nations to contribute to the UN election support fund; and

•

further develop our engagement with all Afghanistan’s neighbours in support of long term
regional security and good relations.

The broader international community and the Afghan government must also play their roles in
meeting the challenges as part of a genuine comprehensive approach. In this regard, we welcome
the renewal of UNAMA’s mandate. Looking ahead, presidential and provincial council electoral
processes must ensure that every Afghan vote counts and that the elections deliver the population
the leadership of their choosing. To help the Government expand its reach and effectiveness,
greater civilian assistance is required. Greater and coordinated efforts, including at the provincial
and district level, are needed to accelerate the development of Afghan capacity to deliver justice,
basic services and employment opportunities, especially in the agricultural sector, for ordinary
Afghans. Implementation of anti-corruption measures must be enhanced. We stress the
importance of the protection of women’s rights. The broader International Community should
continue to work with the Government of Afghanistan to support Afghan National Development
priorities and Afghan-led efforts to reconcile with those who renounce violence, accept the
Constitution, and have no links to Al-Qaeda.
We pay tribute to those who have lost their lives or been injured working for Afghanistan and for
our own security. We salute the courage and dedication of the Afghan people and the tens of
thousands of men and women, military and civilian from NATO and ISAF partner nations and the
broader International Community supporting this important endeavour. Our mission is
strengthened by the important contribution of all ISAF nations. To achieve our goals, we will work
with Afghanistan and its people in true and long-term partnership. As Afghan capacity increases,
our part in providing security will evolve to focus increasingly on mentoring and training. We
remain resolute in our commitment to help the Afghan people build a better future.